Allium parvum |
Allium ampeloprasum |
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dwarf onion, small onion |
broadleaf wild leek, elephant garlic, wild leek |
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Bulbs | 1–5+, not clustered on stout primary rhizome, rhizomes absent, renewal bulbs formed within coats of parent bulb, ovoid to ± globose, 1–2 × 0.7–2 cm; outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, gray to grayish brown, membranous, lacking cellular reticulation or cells arranged in only 2–3 rows distal to roots, ± quadrate, without fibers; inner coats white or pinkish, cells obscure, ± quadrate. |
1–3+, variable, some with poorly developed bulbs, others ovoid with 1–2 large bulbs and several yellowish to light brown bulbels at base, 0.4–1(–3) × 0.4–1(–1.5) cm; outer coat enclosing 1 or more bulbs, yellowish, membranous; inner coats white to light brown, cells not evident, fibers ± parallel, few. |
Leaves | usually deciduous with scape, withering from tip at anthesis, 2, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface; blade solid, flat, ± falcate, 8–15 cm × 2–8 mm, margins entire. |
withering from tips by anthesis, 6–9, sheathing 1/3–1/2 scape; blade solid, flat, channeled, 1–5 cm × 2–20(–30) mm, margins scabrid. |
Scape | usually forming abcission layer and deciduous with leaves after seeds mature, frequently breaking at this level after pressing, solitary, erect, solid, flattened, frequently ± winged distally, or, in smaller specimens, ± terete, 3–12 cm × 0.5–2 mm. |
persistent, solitary, erect, fistulose, terete, 45–180 cm × 3–7 mm. |
Umbel | persistent, erect, compact, 5–30-flowered, hemispheric to conic, bulbils unknown; spathe bracts persistent, 2, 12–14-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex acute to acuminate. |
persistent, erect, compact, to 500-flowered, few-flowered in variants with bulbils, globose; spathe bracts persistent, 3–5, 2–3-veined, lanceolate, ± equal, apex abruptly narrowed to beak, beak to 10 cm. |
Flowers | narrowly campanulate, 6–9 mm; tepals erect, ± spreading toward tips, white or tinged with pink, with broad, dark, reddish purple or brown midvein, oblong to elliptic, unequal, outer longer, wider than inner, becoming papery and investing capsule, not carinate in fruit, margins entire, apex obtuse to ± acute; stamens included; anthers purple or yellow; pollen yellow; ovary obscurely crested; processes 3, central, low, rounded, margins entire; style linear, ± equaling tepals; stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed or obscurely 3-lobed; pedicel 3–12 mm. |
urceolate, 4–5.5 mm; tepals erect, white, pink, or dark red, unequal, becoming papery and investing capsule in fruit; outer tepal oblong-lanceolate, margins entire, apex obtuse, sometimes mucronate; inner tepal narrowly ovate to spatulate, margins entire, apex obtuse; stamens equaling perianth or exserted; outer filaments simple, inner with 2 prominent lateral teeth that exceed anther-bearing portion, glabrous; anthers yellow or purple; pollen yellow; ovary crestless; style linear, equaling stamens; stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed; pedicel 15–50 mm. |
Seed | coat dull; cells smooth. |
coat not known. |
2n | = 14. |
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Allium parvum |
Allium ampeloprasum |
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Phenology | Flowering late Apr–Jun. | Flowering Apr–Jul. |
Habitat | Rocky, clay slopes and talus | Roadsides and other disturbed areas |
Elevation | 1200–2800 m (3900–9200 ft) | 0–100 m (0–300 ft) |
Distribution |
CA; ID; NV; OR; UT
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Europe; Asia; n Africa [Introduced in North America]
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Discussion | Normally the umbel of Allium ampeloprasum has no bulbils, but there are some variants with a few flowers that produce bulbils. The species has been reported as established in New England and adjacent Canada and can be found along roadsides and in other disturbed areas. It is probably conspecific with A. porrum Linnaeus, the leek of commerce. Allium porrum can be distinguished from A. ampeloprasum based on its unique bulb morphology and chemistry from centuries of cultivation and selection. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Source | FNA vol. 26. | FNA vol. 26, p. 238. |
Parent taxa | Liliaceae > Allium | Liliaceae > Allium |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | A. modocense, A. pleianthum var. particolor, A. tribracteatum var. andersonii, A. tribracteatum var. parvum | |
Name authority | Kellogg: Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 3: 54, fig. 13. (1863) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 294. (1753) |
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